An Italian classic: The cannoli. For years the perfect cannoli recipe has eluded me and my mother. We tried countless times, but alas, it was to no avail. But last night, by a true Christmas miracle, we made a damn good cannoli. Perfection isn’t easy to achieve but we were close. The thing is there are several things that make a cannoli perfect. The shell, the taste, the texture, and how you dress it up. For us, our shells were perfect, a delicate yet still sturdy pizzelle cookie, rolled into a perfect cylinder which allows for just enough filling to cookie ratio. The taste was spot on, with a sweet but not overly sweet taste. It didn’t overshadow the creaminess of the ricotta. The way we dressed it up, simple. Just a few chocolate chips on each end to add some bittersweet notes when you first start eating it, and who does like chocolate? But where our perfection faltered was the texture. Just a bit too runny. Could this be because it traveled for an hour, one cant be certain. But one thing is certain is if you are going to make a homemade cannoli, try this recipe.
Ingredients:
- 1- 8 oz container of heavy cream
- 1 pound of whole milk ricotta
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar, but add more to taste
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Cannoli shells (fills about 18 shells)
- Something for the ends: chocolate chips, cherry, pistachio
How to:
- In a metal bowl, whip the heavy cream until it is very stiff, almost like a whipped butter. This should take about 5-10 minutes to achieve.
- Lightly fold in the ricotta, 1/2 cup at a time. Also slowly adding in the powdered sugar and vanilla.
- Try not to over mix, but make sure the mixture is even.
- Then add to a pasty bag (or a ziplock bag that you cut off the tip)
- Then fill the cannoli shells, add your desired toppings, and enjoy.
- This is an easy recipe to make for family and friends that will definitely impress.
The Home Taste 